Lost in Darkness
by LNicol1990
Summary: He was about to take another mouthful of the foul liquid, when he remembered the rousing presence in the back of his mind. "Hey Dark," Daisuke called softly. "Sorry about this." Chapter 5 is finally up! On hiatus.
1. Birthday

Author's Note: Just so everyone knows from the start, I'm not trying to make a Daisuke/Dark implication, but I know that there might be some of that in this chapter. Oh well. Enjoy!

* * *

Daisuke opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. There was a bright streak of dawn light that ran across it. It was early morning and he had to get up for school. But, today, Daisuke wanted to stay in bed. He didn't want to say hello and good morning to the world. For some reason, it would just feel fake to him.

_Perhaps I'm just feeling ill. I could tell Mom and I'm sure she'd let me off school today…_

But Daisuke knew what would happen if he did that. His mother, Emiko Niwa, would feel sorry for him, and she probably would let him stay off school. But, she wouldn't do anything before expressing sympathy for Daisuke feeling ill on his birthday.

It was his fifteenth birthday, this day. There would be plenty of presents and cards and well-wishing for another great year, and that was where the problem was. This was because any other year could never be as great as the previous.

It had only been a year since he turned fourteen. It had only been a year since he had found out about the Niwa family legacy. It had only been a year since he had become the host to the Phantom Thief known as Dark Mousey.

And it had been less than a year since Dark had been gone.

Dark and Krad, the entity that had been within Daisuke's best friend, Satoshi Hiwatari, had both been sealed in a piece of artwork called The Black Wings. Satoshi and Daisuke had been freed from their families' joint curse, and were now able to live normal lives.

_So why do I feel like this? _Daisuke wondered. _I'm not even sure what I'm feeling, but I know I don't like it._

"Dai? Dai! It's time to get up, you'll be late for school," Emiko's voice floated up the stairs.

"Yes Mom," Dai called back.

Heaving a sigh, Daisuke got up and prepared himself for school, and all the joys of having one's birthday on a school day.

---***---

"Niwa!"

Daisuke turned his head to look to the person who had called him, although he had a pretty good feeling that he already knew. And, sure enough, the Harada twins were zoning in on his position. He was half a nanosecond from smiling, happy to see them, when he realised what the pair were carrying.

Presents. Tons of presents, half were wrapped in brightly coloured paper, the other half in not so brightly coloured paper. He didn't have to guess who they were for, nor who was giving him which present.

"Morning, Niwa," a calm voice greeted him from behind.

"Huh?" Dai turned round in confusion, and almost walked into another of his friends. "Oh, morning Hiwatari."

Satoshi's lips twitched to show a small smile, which shone in the boy's bright blue eyes. He hadn't worn glasses since the day Krad and Dark had left, explaining to Dai, Riku and Risa that he hadn't really needed them for himself.

"Ladies," Satoshi greeted as the girls arrived.

"Morning Hiwatari," Risa greeted in response.

"Yeah morning," Riku agreed. "Hey Niwa, happy birthday."

The twins handed Daisuke the presents that they had been holding, and he took them with a smile. He prayed that the smile reached his eyes, and told himself that he wasn't faking it.

"Thank you Miss Riku, Miss Harada," Daisuke hoped that he sounded grateful.

"I can't believe you're fifteen today," Risa stated.

"Yeah, well…" Daisuke shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

"We'd better get moving, or we'll be late for class," Satoshi observed, already beginning to walk towards the school.

The three of them followed Satoshi. Risa ran ahead to walk beside Satoshi, getting as close as she dared. Daisuke and Riku were a step behind, holding each other's hand, and all of Daisuke's presents.

_If Miss Harada and Hiwatari get any closer, you won't be able to see between them, _Daisuke thought with a smile.

---***---

The first two classes had gone without a hitch. Saehara had been unable to resist giving Daisuke the infamous 'birthday beats', but it hadn't hurt. Daisuke jokingly reminded Saehara that, when his birthday came, he would find no mercy.

It was a break period, and Dai had found somewhere quiet to be: an empty corridor. He stared out into the sky, thinking of nothing in particular. He didn't hear a pair of quiet footsteps approach.

"Something on your mind, Niwa?"

"Hiwatari?" Dai asked confusedly when he looked at the young man.

"I would assume that you'd be happy on your birthday, but... you aren't," Satoshi observed.

"I guess you're right," Daisuke agreed, turning back to the window.

Satoshi stood still for a while, observing his friend. He felt certain that he knew what was bothering Daisuke, but was unwilling to reopen that chapter of his own life. Neither of them had spoken of that day back in December, and Satoshi had been more than happy to not think of it again. But

"I guess you don't... miss him, huh?" Daisuke asked, so quietly that Satoshi almost thought he'd heard him wrong.

"He wasn't like... Dark," Satoshi admitted, silently thanking Daisuke for not mentioning Krad's name. "He didn't care about what happened to me. But, Dark was different. He did care about what happened to you, he did care if you were in pain."

Daisuke didn't reply, and he didn't turn to face Satoshi. He wondered if it had been justified bringing up such a sore topic for the both of them. He inhaled deeply, and opened his mouth to speak.

"You miss Dark, don't you?"

Daisuke exhaled. Finding himself devoid of his voice, he nodded. He could feel tears swelling up beside his eyes, and quickly shuts them. There was no way he wanted Satoshi to see him cry, he was fifteen years old for crying out loud! Fifteen year old guys don't cry!

There's a small click as something light is set down on the sill. Daisuke opened his eyes to find himself staring at a long, cardboard box. There was a length of string keeping the lid on, and a tiny card with a hole that the string had been threaded through. The words were written in very clear, very neat handwriting: _Happy Birthday Daisuke Niwa, from Satoshi Hiwatari._

Daisuke looked over his shoulder to where Satoshi had been standing, but noted that the young man was walking down the corridor. He returned his attention to the box. It wasn't anything impressive, just a simple box held together with string. Daisuke pulled the string clear with his closet hand, and then picked up the lid and set it aside.

Inside the box was half a feather. It wasn't a normal feather. This was a piece of art, Daisuke could tell. From the rachis to the tips of the barbs, it was pitch black with purple highlights showing wherever the light touched it. A small strip of paper lay underneath the feather. Daisuke took it out of the box and began to read.

_Niwa. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't know what else to get you. Just so you know, my half is white. Have a happy birthday. Hiwatari._

Daisuke smiled weakly and put the note back in the box. He then realised that Satoshi hadn't answered his question. While he had admitted that Krad was an evil entity that had lived inside him, he hadn't said that he didn't miss that psychotic white angel.

_Of course he misses Krad, if only a little bit. Krad was a part of him, just like Dark was a part of me... Is that what I'm feeling? Do I really miss Dark that much?_

---***---

"Oh, Daisuke, you're home!" Towa chirped happily.

"Huh? Oh, hi Towa," Daisuke greeted absentmindedly.

"Hmm? Are you alright?" Towa asked, frowning slightly in concern.

"Everything's normal," Daisuke answered. "I'll be in my room; I've got stuff to do for school."

"Okay," Towa agreed, unconvinced. "Well, dinner will be soon, in celebration of your birthday. This is so exciting!"

Daisuke smiled at Towa's enthusiasm, glad that at least someone was enjoying his birthday, even if he wasn't.

He made his way upstairs, remembering the events of his last birthday. He'd long since given the painting of Risa Harada away, to Risa herself for her birthday. She had been the one that had awoken Dark inside him, by not loving him as he had loved her. Not that that mattered now, since he was with her sister, Riku, and Risa was with Satoshi, or, at least, trying to be.

Daisuke put down his school bag and climbed up to his bed. He laid down and stared at the ceiling as he had done that morning, trying to remind himself that he should be happy. But he couldn't think of anything that warranted him being happy.

"Kyuu!" Wiz bounded happily onto Daisuke's stomach.

"Hey Wiz," Daisuke smiled sadly, looking at the little creature before returning his gaze to the pattern above him.

_It's so weird. I don't usually mope like this. Is it just because Dark came into my life only a year ago? He's been part of the Niwa family for four hundred years..._

Daisuke looked back at Wiz. The strange little creature had probably been with the Niwa family as long as Dark had, serving as Dark's wings since using his own would cause Dark's host a lot of pain.

_I wonder if Wiz misses Dark...._

"Hey Wiz, can you keep a secret?" Daisuke asked earnestly, slowly rising to sit cross-legged.

"Kyuu?" Wiz cocked his head to a side, curiosity shone in his eyes.

"I miss Dark," Daisuke stated. "On that day, when he and Krad were sealed into The Black Wings, I felt like a part of me had been torn out. I know that as soon as I'd won my 'Sacred Maiden', he fade away until the next son of the Niwa family came around, but... but he didn't just fade away. He was ripped out of me, Wiz, and while I'd won my 'Sacred Maiden'... I'd lost him."

"Kyuu?"

"I doubt it makes much sense to you. I mean, you've probably had Dark come in and out of a member of the family for a long time. You're probably used to it. But... to me... I don't know," Daisuke paused.

Wiz watched Daisuke reverently, waiting for him to continue. He seemed completely engrossed by what Daisuke was telling him, and was eager, but patient, for the rest of the admission.

"He would tease me, and be irritating and embarrassing and would make me want to scream or pull all my hair out. But, that wasn't all that Dark did. He cared about my safety, he'd be worried if his magic hurt me, and... and all that kind of stuff. He was like the big brother I never had," Daisuke smiled earnestly.

"Kyuu?"

"I really miss him, With. You... you won't tell anyone about this, will you Wiz?" Daisuke asked.

"Kyuu!"

"I didn't think so. Wiz, I... I'm not as strong as everyone thinks I am. I think about Dark all the time, about all the great things that happened because he was around. And sometimes... sometimes I even think about ways I could get to him."

"Kyuu?"

"I think about that a lot, actually. I think about how I could break the seal on The Black Wings and get him out, but then everything else crops into my head. I mean, if I break the seal, and Dark comes out, what's there to stop Krad escaping too? And, Dark and Krad use to be one being, right? So, what if Dark isn't there anymore, but this other creature that's half-Dark-half-Krad? And they're like complete opposites, so would this creature be mad from a conflicting personality? But, let's say that there isn't one being in there, and I break the seal and Dark comes out. It's safe to say that Krad will come out too, so what'll happen there? Will he go back into Hiwatari? He's spent so much time being a prisoner in his body, having to fight Krad every day, being in so much pain whenever Krad wins over him. I couldn't do that him! I couldn't put him back into that situation. He'd never forgive me, and I'd never forgive myself."

"Kyuu..." Wiz stated sadly, either empathising or feeling an equal sadness.

"You can't tell that to anyone, Wiz," Daisuke ordered. "I don't want people to know. I... I don't think they'd understand."

From the stairs, Emiko held a hand to her face. Her eyes were closed as she willed herself to stay quiet. Then slowly, she turned around and walked back downstairs as quietly as she had come up. She hadn't intended to eavesdrop, she had been planning to go up, say hello and happy birthday and tell her son that dinner was ready. She hadn't been expecting to hear that kind of thing from Daisuke, she'd always thought that he didn't like the black winged angel that lay in the Niwa family genes.

How wrong she was. And now, Emiko felt a pressing need to find a box of tissues.

---***---

**Daisuke... are you there?**

**......**

**Can you hear me, Daisuke?**

**......**

**I'm trapped. I need your help.**

**......**

**Where are you, Daisuke? Where are you?**


	2. Problems

Daisuke was quiet during dinner. He ate some of his food, but quickly realised that he was simply pushing the rest around his plate. He didn't feel hungry at all. He kept his eyes firmly on his plate, but was more than aware of several pairs of eyes watching him. He reluctantly put something green into his mouth and started to chew.

"Son, are you alright?" Kosuke asked, a slight frown set on his temple.

Emiko trained her eyes onto her son. She had not had the heart to tell anyone what she had heard Daisuke say, and knew that he wouldn't thank her for such an action. She didn't know whether she should leave Daisuke to figure this out on his own, or let him know what she'd heard and tell him that he would always have her, even if it was only to talk.

"Everything's normal," Daisuke answered. _Haven't I said that before?_

Kosuke shrugged his shoulders and let the matter lie. He knew that he couldn't force Daisuke to tell him anything, and by the way his wife was looking at their son, he knew something was up. But, he knew better than to press the subject.

"How was school?" Emiko asked conversationally.

"Alright," Daisuke shrugged. "Miss Riku and Miss Harada gave me birthday presents, Hiwatari, too."

"Did you get anything nice?" Kosuke inquired.

"They were all nice," Daisuke replied.

Daiki, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, decided to join in and speak. And his chosen topic could not have been any worse.

"So, Daisuke, what's it like being fifteen? Of course, when I was fifteen, I still had Dark with me."

Emiko shot her father an outraged look, before quickly returning to a neutral expression. But she wasn't quick enough for Kosuke not to notice.

"I'm going to bed," Daisuke announced.

"But, but… but you've hardly touched your dinner! And there's cake yet to come!" Towa protested.

"I'm not hungry," Daisuke explained, catching an understanding nod from his mother.

He then stood up from the table, picking up his plate in the process. He took his dish over to the kitchen and, after depositing the remains of his dinner in the bin, placed it in the sink.

He didn't look at his family as he walked back across the room and did his best not to run upstairs. He could hear his mother talking, maybe she was worried, or maybe she sounded upset, angry even. He couldn't tell, and he didn't want to know.

Daisuke stopped in the centre of his room. He didn't feel tired at all. Instead, he felt twitchy, fidgety, restless, and had an odd, yet uncontrollable desire to go out. It was getting late and everywhere would be closed for the night, but that fact didn't bother him, if anything it pleased him.

He quickly changed to wear a dark coloured jumper and black jeans. He wasn't sure why he had decided to change, maybe because he didn't want to be stopped, and he wouldn't be stopped if he couldn't be seen.

That made sense, didn't it?

Daisuke slipped out onto his balcony and quickly made his way over to the corner furthest from the door. Lying face down on the low guard wall, he swung his legs over the wall, allowed himself to slide gently downwards until he was hanging by his fingers. Then, he let go.

The drop was a little more than he was expecting, but he wasn't injured when hit the ground. His legs felt somewhat jarred, but he quickly massaged life back into them. Luckily for him, he had landed on something soft.

Soon, Daisuke was running from the side of his house. The moment he was a few streets away, he stopped running and began to simply walk. He had no idea where he was going, but was willing to let his overactive brain run by itself for a time. It then occurred to him that he had rarely seen the town at night, and found himself curious to know the differences.

He didn't hear his mother coming in to check if he was alright, nor her panicked cry when she saw he was missing.

---***---

**I need your help, Daisuke.**

…

**Where are you?**

---***---

Daisuke finally stopped walking when he realised where he had wondered to. He was standing outside the Central Art Museum. He looked down to his watch to check the time, and felt his stomach drop. He'd been gone for more than two hours.

_Mom's gonna be a complete state when I get home. What am I gonna say? How am I going to explain this?_

Daisuke looked up at the building. Inside it were artworks that were centuries old. There was art from all over the country in there, maybe even some continental work.

And also the work of the Hikari family lay inside. All held spirits and magic within them. Some were so powerful that Daisuke was surprised that the people who looked upon them didn't notice it, or maybe they did but didn't know what it was.

_Dark's in there, somewhere, inside The Black Wings. I wonder if he notices the people who walk past him... Would he notice me?_

Daisuke approached the double doors and gave the handles a half-hearted tug. While he expected them to be locked, there was always the chance that this had been the night when someone had forgotten to lock up. However, there was no such luck; the doors were locked.

Shrugging slightly, Daisuke reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of straight, thin wire that had once been paper clips. After a quick glance about the area, he squatted down and inserted the two wires into the lock. He had to admit, that had been the easiest lock pick he'd pulled.

_I might have to mention to Hiwatari that those locks ought to be upgraded. If I can do it, then a professional like-_

Daisuke stopped himself there. He was so shocked at how easily his mind had gone to Dark, forgetting that Dark really wasn't in any position to come and steal anything. Not that Dark actually used doors.

Daisuke shook his head, and continued in.

The museum was eerily quiet with ghostly light shining in from unknown places. The only sounds that could be heard was Daisuke's light footsteps on the cold, stone floor, the rustling of his clothes as he moved, and his slow, steady breathing.

He took his time, looking in every room, examining each one thoroughly, before moving on. He showed a small amount of appreciation for the work that lined the walls and stood out in the centre of the rooms. He began to wonder if The Black Wings was even on display, and then, he walked into another room.

There it was: The Black Wings. Chains were wrapped around it, securely anchored to the walls. The thing was so big, towering up towards the skylight. Everyone accepted that the chains were there for the safety of the observers and also to preserve the artwork, encase the thing toppled. But, Daisuke couldn't help but imagine that the chains were there to restrain the monument, to stop whatever was inside it from getting out.

He slowly walked up to it, stopping at the rope barrier. He hadn't looked at it since that day in December. In truth, he had been afraid to look at it. He was afraid of it, afraid of The Black Wings, afraid that he might see Dark, imprisoned within it, afraid of...

_How would he look at me? Would he be angry that I came to see him in his prison? Would he be happy to see me? Would he even recognise me?_

"Hey Dark," Daisuke greeted, feeling slightly awkward about talking to a slab of black rock.

As he expected, there was no response. He then felt very foolish. Of course there wasn't going to be a response, the seal was in place and Dark probably no longer existed. But that didn't change the fact that the silence hurt Daisuke's heart.

"It's my birthday, today, Dark. I'm fifteen now," Daisuke reported. "I got lots of presents, and there was cake... but I doubt that would interest you."

Daisuke looked down at his feet. He felt so foolish, so idiotic. He'd probably tripped an alarm and guards were going to walk in and find him staring at the block, or his feet.

Then a small realisation hit Daisuke. He was staring at his shoes, and there was no rope in sight. He looked up and was surprised to find himself much closer to the block than he remembered. Turning to look backwards, Daisuke could see the rope barrier behind him. He did nothing for a time, blinking dumbly and switching between looking at the barrier and the block, all the while trying to figure out how he had gotten so close without realising that he had moved.

A cold, smooth object touched his hand, and Daisuke looked down. With his right arm absent from his side, he followed it to find that his hand was resting on The Black Wings. Daisuke frowned, feeling completely certain that he had not authorised his hand to perform such an action.

He was about to move his hand away from the block, which obviously had a mind of its own, when he froze. He could see another hand, slightly larger than his own, reach out and splay its fingers out to mirror Daisuke's.

Daisuke looked across the stone, and saw a slim body clothed in dark attire. Slowly, fearfully, he raised his eyes upwards. He scanned the body quickly, fleetingly, but swore that he could see feathers somewhere behind this figure, black feathers.

Finally, Daisuke looked at the figure's face, and felt his heart miss a beat. He recognised the purple hair with the long strands that struck out at any odd angel in imagination. The eyes held a deep violet that was as familiar to Daisuke as his own reflection.

"Dark," Daisuke whispered, not entirely sure if he should believe the sight before him.

Dark smiled his usual, mysterious smile, but his eyes were alight with joy and relief. He twisted his hand slightly so his fingers could be seen between the gaps of Daisuke's, and then curled his fingers to press against the back of Daisuke's hand.

The sudden pressure broke Daisuke out of his amazed stupor and he stepped backwards. He gasped when he saw Dark step forward, keeping the distance between them constant. Then Dark's face fell, an expression of shock and horror reigned where positivity once was. And all resistance from the block stopped, causing Daisuke to lunge backwards, and trip. The last thing Daisuke remembered was the horrid feeling of cracking his head on the floor.

---***---

Daisuke was floating in darkness. He couldn't see anything, but could feel something cold against his back and a throbbing pain around the back of his head that was threatening to spread. In all of this, he only had one thought in his mind.

_Ow. That really hurt._

Slowly his eyes opened and Daisuke found himself staring up at a starry sky which was trapped behind bars. No, that wasn't right. He was staring up at the night sky which was above a skylight. He looked across the ceiling, as if it held the answers to a question he wasn't aware that he'd asked.

_It's so odd, it's like I'm not moving my eyes... they're just moving on their own._

Daisuke snapped to attention at that point. He _wasn't_ moving his eyes, just like he wasn't moving his head from side to side either. He felt his body protest as it began to move slowly and gingerly. His eyes closed tightly and the muscles in his face contracted to pull a pained expression. He felt the pressure on his back fade away and became aware that he was sitting up.

_What's going on?_

His eyes finally opened again and he found himself to be staring at The Black Wings. Its smooth, glassy surface made an excellent dark mirror. What Daisuke saw in his dark reflection was not what he had expected, but he felt his heart soar with surprise and delight.

It was Dark. It was Dark's reflection that he could see. That completely explained why his body had moved without his permission.

**Dark?**

His eyes turned away from the stone and looked over to observe the rest of the room, the movement made Daisuke's head spin, and his stomach complained in its own unpleasant way.

The next thing that happened surprised him. He felt confusion, except it was not coming from him, but from Dark. Dark kept looking around, and the confusion was steadily increasing.

_Maybe it's just from the transition..._** Dark? Are you okay?**

Dark slowly and unsteadily placed his feet beneath him and rose to stand. His vision kept going in and out of faze, and, for some reason, he couldn't seem to stop swaying. He raised a shaking hand to hold the side of his head, the pain feeling like a rave party within his head.

**Dark?**

"Who's there?" Dark asked weakly, walking carefully towards the rope barrier.

**What are you talking about, Dark? It's me, Daisuke.** _Maybe he doesn't recognise my voice... it has gotten a lot deeper._

"Who? Where are you?" Dark asked as he looked around and then decided to stop as the pain flared up once again.

**What do you mean 'where are you?' Where do you think I am?**

"'Where do I think...? What's going on? Where are you? _Who_ are you?" Dark demanded, scrunching his face in pain.

Daisuke could feel the confusion rising ever higher in Dark, and now there was a hint of panic and fear. The realisation then hit Daisuke like a ton of bricks. Dark had no idea who Daisuke was, and probably didn't even know where they were.

Several different words of a foul nature ran through Daisuke's head.

_Alright... I've got to take this slow for him. If I do anything too much, he's gonna freak out completely on me, and I have no way of stopping him if he does something stupid. Damn! The alarms are still active!_

**Dark... my name is Daisuke. I'm a friend.**

"Daisuke..." Dark echoed, his tone cautious. "Why can't I see you?"

**I'm not in the room. We're... telepathically linked. That's why you can hear me, you're hearing my projected thoughts.** _So far, so good._

"Linked?" Dark frowned sceptically. "You expect me to believe that?"

**Do you have any reason to believe otherwise?** _Please say no..._

"No, I don't..." Dark admitted. "How come I can't remember you?"

_Uh-oh. The ultimate question. How the heck am I gonna explain that to him?!_

"Daisuke?" Dark asked, feeling the calm that had slowly developed within him begin to whither.

**It's a... a long explanation, Dark. It would be best if you were home before I said anything.** _And at home, there'll be less chance of you getting out of control. Oh no! Home?! I'm gonna have to explain this to Mom, Dad, and Grandpa! Along with Dark! What am I doing?! They'll have freaked out about my disappearance long ago, and then I come back with Dark.... maybe home isn't such a good idea. But, where else could I... _we_ go?_

"Home? I don't know the way," Dark mentioned quietly, timidly.

_Calm down, Daisuke. Everyone might be a bit mad at you for a while, but they'll help. But he doesn't know the way, and going on foot would be dangerous. If only we had Wiz here... Of course! _**You just have to call Wiz.**

"Wiz?" Dark frowned, comprehension completely lacking.

**Yeah, Wiz'll help. You just have to call him, and be commanding about, too. Trust me.**

Daisuke prayed that he was exuding positivity and confidence, because he really needed this to work. Fortunately, he felt Dark's apprehension trickle away. Confidence might not have grown, but at least something resembling trust was beginning to form.

"Wiz!" Dark barked.

All was silent for a moment... two moments... three... four...

"Kyuu!"


	3. Mistake

Wiz had appeared a few feet away from Dark and, after setting sight on his master, had gleefully bounded over and lumped onto Dark's shoulder. He was now in the process of displaying any and all affection by rubbing his nose under Dark's chin and into his ear. Wiz was completely oblivious to how tense Dark's shoulder was beneath his paws.

**He's just happy to see you, Dark.**

Dark stood still as he waited for his body to relax from the contact of this strange little creature, and from the words that he heard from somewhere deep within his mind, which he knew did not come from him.

Daisuke, the voice had called itself. It sounded as if it knew him, as if it expected him to know it. He wasn't convinced at all, but was willing to go along with the voice's instructions, until such time that he could properly escape.

**Give Wiz some attention, Dark. He's missed you... we all have.**

Dark reluctantly raised his hand towards the creature, Wiz, the voice called it. Once his fingers touched the soft fur at the back of the creature's head, he slowly moved his fingers to scratch behind the long ears.

Immediately, Dark felt some of the tension in his mind and body diminish into nothing. He felt the muscles in his back relax and his body felt lighter. His breathing slowed and he realised that he could no longer hear the blood gushing past his ears, pumping just below his skin. He felt a great deal calmer.

**Wiz's really good at calming people down,** Daisuke noted, a degree of ease in his voice that Dark hadn't noticed before. **Now, all you have to do is tell him to take us home.**

"Wait. Take 'us'?" Dark inquired.

There was a moment of silence that Dark was very uneasy about. It gave him that horrible feeling that this 'Daisuke' was hiding something from him. He tried to ignore the fact that he probably wasn't too far from the truth.

**Yeah,** Daisuke agreed, a tone of nervous laughter entered Dark's mind. **You and Wiz. Sorry, I keep on forgetting that I'm not in the room.**

Dark did not particularly like the thought that he was communicating to someone who wasn't in the same room as him. For some reason, the explanation didn't feel right to him. It felt correct, but wrong at the same time.

"How do I...?" Dark asked, trailing off because he was beginning to feel foolish, and uncomfortable.

**That's easy, Dark. Just say 'take us home, Wiz', and he'll do the rest.**

"How's... Wiz going to do that, exactly? He's not the largest thing in the world," Dark observed.

Then, Dark felt the most curious sensation. He didn't know to adequately describe it, but he couldn't help but feel like a young child who had tried to be smart in front of a teacher who was being very patient with him. To him, it was not pleasant.

**Trust me, Dark. Wiz can do a lot of things you might not expect,** Daisuke answered, with all the patience of a well practised teacher.

Dark ground his teeth in frustration, ignoring the horrible sound that it made. He was more than aware that he was behaving like a spoilt child who wasn't getting his way. He prayed that Daisuke was getting that impression, rather than the truth.

**Dark, I know that you're confused right now, and I wouldn't think less of you if you were afraid of any of this. I know I would be in your position,** Daisuke explained in a calm voice, which somehow was beginning to sound strained, concerned perhaps. **But right now, I need you to trust me. This isn't exactly a good place to be found, and you will be a lot safer at home. Please Dark,** Daisuke's voice was definitely concerned.

However, as much as Dark was trying to believe that this concern was for anything, anyone but him, he knew that Daisuke was right.

"Okay," Dark agreed, inclining his head slightly. "Get us out of here, Wiz," he instructed the creature without moving his head.

"Kyuu!" Wiz exclaimed happily.

Dark then felt the tiny weight on his shoulder disappear. Slight pressure suddenly appeared over his entire back, as if something was latching onto him. As he turned his head to see what was happening, two huge wings, pitch black, suddenly spread out from behind him. And then, the wings began to beat down, and dark found that his feet were beginning to leave the ground.

**Don't worry, Dark. Both you and I have done this countless times with Wiz, **Daisuke explained; his tone was full of a confidence that comforted Dark.

Taking steadying breaths, Dark held on for the ride as the pair of black wings carried him off the ground, out a window and into the cool night. All the while, he could hear Daisuke talking to him, sending him encouraging words and positivity. But, Dark found that, despite the voice's best attempts, he had to admit that the journey was terrifying.

---***---

Daisuke was relieved that the door to his bedroom from his balcony was open. He ignored the slight pain that came from his legs as Dark landed awkwardly, and ushered the man inside. It was then that it occurred to him that he still had no idea how he was going to explain all of this.

"Daisuke?!" a voice called up from the stairs, from which there was a flurry of noise.

_Oh-no. Mom! I knew she'd be upset with me, and she's going to come in here and see Dark..._

Emiko appeared at the stairs. Her face was a blotchy red, and her eyes were puffy and damp. A tissue in her hand was all the more evidence that she'd been crying. However, it was the fearfully hopeful look in her eyes that hit Daisuke the most. That look quickly turned to shock as she regarded the figure in her son's room. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she stared across the room.

Daisuke felt the unease in Dark heighten exponentially, not to mention his panic.

_Please, Dark, don't freak out,_ Daisuke pleaded silently to himself. _Don't bolt._

It was then that Daisuke realised that Dark's attention was solely on Emiko. Cautiously, surreptitiously, Daisuke reached out his control and commanded his legs not to move without his say so. Feeling certain that he controlled his legs, he tried to go for his arms next.

Daisuke suddenly became aware of an unusual sound. It was rapid, shallow, and it was making him feel light-headed.

**Calm down, Dark, you're hyperventilating, **Daisuke warned.

"Dark?" Emiko ventured.

As she looked at the young man in front of her, she realised that, in truth, she was regarding a child. Dark was behaving more like a terrified child than the cool, level-headed phantom thief that he was. Even from the other side of the room, she could see that his eyes were wide with dilated pupils. She could see his chest rising and falling quickly, and was sure that if he kept that up for much longer, he'd end up fainting.

"Dark... it's Emiko, remember?" she asked as she stepped forward, moving slowly so as not to spook him.

Dark blinked, and struggled for a few seconds to swallow. Then, in small frenzied movements, Dark shook his head, his eyes never leaving her.

Dark could feel something shrinking inside him, and somehow, he knew that it wasn't him, but Daisuke. He had seen how this... Emiko's face had fallen as he'd shaken his head. Now, as she was walking slowly towards him, Dark felt the overly pressing need to get away from this place as quickly as possible. He wanted, no... needed to get out of this situation.

**Let me handle this, Dark. You've been through enough already,** Daisuke offered.

Dark could hear a weary resignation in Daisuke's voice, like someone who knew they couldn't hide from their responsibilities anymore. He could feel a slight pressure in his mind, as if someone was holding his shoulders and was pulling backwards, trying to stand in front of him. The hold was strong, but not forceful. He knew that he could easily shrug the pull off, but decided that he agreed with Daisuke.

He had been through enough for one night, and whatever this was; it was pulling him out of a very bright, very hot spotlight. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be pulled back and this other entity to move in front of him. However, he didn't feel like this was going to be the end of the nightmare.

---***---

Daisuke opened his eyes and looked straight at his mother. He bit his lip, and struggled to keep the tears behind his eyes from falling. He could see her waiting for him to speak.

"Mom... I did something really stupid," Daisuke confessed, feeling a tear fall. _So much for not crying._

Emiko did not reply. Instead, she nodded understandingly. She approached him and wrapped her arms around her son. She felt him return the gesture, and he pressed his face into the side of her neck. She allowed herself a motherly moment where she wondered when her son had gotten so tall.

Daisuke had shot up in the few months between December and his birthday, and his voice had broken too. He now sounded like a young man, rather than a little boy or teenager. In that period of a few months, to her, he had grown up so much.

"Let's go downstairs and we can talk about it," Emiko suggested, and she felt Daisuke nod.

She broke away from him, with her eyes to the floor. She pretended not to see the tears he hastily brushed away, and she ignored the quick sniff and clearing of his throat. Instead, she turned and made her way to the stairs.

Daisuke followed her, but not before he purposefully looked at himself in the mirror. He could see his red hair and eyes looking back at him, but knew that someone else was looking at his reflection. Sure enough, he felt shock run deep inside him where Dark was. Dark could see that this reflection was different from the one he had seen back at the museum.

"Don't be so surprised, Dark. Did you expect me to look like you?" Daisuke asked mildly, smiling good-naturedly at his reflection, and the embarrassment he felt from Dark.

Daisuke then turned and joined his mother to walk downstairs. He could feel his mood sinking again as he came closer to facing what had happened back at the museum.

---***---

"Daisuke! You had us worried sick!" Kosuke stated as his son walked into the room.

"Sorry Dad," Daisuke apologised, knowing that he had more than just his father to apologise to.

"Well, why don't you sit down and tell us what's going on?" Daiki suggested, although he was aware that was going to happen anyway.

Daisuke nodded numbly and sat on the edge of the sofa. He saw his mother kneel down beside him, her eyes full of concern and an understanding that Daisuke was unsure of. As he snuck a look at the other members of the family, Daisuke saw the same look, although disappointment was also there.

"Just start at the beginning," Emiko instructed her son kindly.

"I... missed having Dark around," Daisuke explained, feeling the confusion and suspicion from Dark. "I mean, yeah I complained a bit, but... it didn't feel right to have him torn out like... like he was."

"Go on," Kosuke encouraged when Daisuke paused.

"And today... If it hadn't been for that day in December, Dark would still have been here. I would have been with him for a whole year. No one seemed to notice that though. I was so sick of everyone being so happy when I wasn't!"

Daisuke stopped himself and inhaled, forcing himself to be calm.

"I just wanted some time alone, so I went out for a walk. Before I knew it, two hours had gone by and I was standing outside the art museum. I knew Dark was in there and I figured that I'd might as well go and see The Black Wings, even if Dark couldn't see me... even if he was no longer there..."

No one spoke for a moment, and everyone allowed Daisuke a chance to rein in any emotions that were threatening to get the better of him. However, it wasn't his emotions that Daisuke was worried about.

"I stood in front of The Black Wings and I... I just talked. It was just stupid stuff, but things that I might have talked to Dark about. The next thing I knew, I was standing beside The Black Wings with my hand on it. I was about to move back when... when I saw him."

"Dark?!" Emiko, Kosuke and Daiki all asked the same time.

"Yeah. He put his hand out to mirror mine," Daisuke explained, holding out his hand with his fingers outstretched. "He then turned his hand a little and... and held on to me. He held onto my hand. I was so surprised I stepped back, and looked like he was coming with me when-" Daisuke stopped abruptly, his eyes wide.

_No... Please don't tell me that... Don't say that I... Oh god, please no!_

Daisuke wrapped his arms around his stomach, willing himself not to be ill, willing himself not to break down at this very moment. But he couldn't face the idea, it was too horrible. He wasn't sure if he if he'd survive if he'd done that.

"Dai? Daisuke talk to us," Emiko pleaded, immediately seeing that something was wrong. "Daisuke, what happened?"

Tears ran down Daisuke's face, before he doubled over. His whole body shook and juddered as he fought the utter despair that was threatening to consume him. Unusual, high-pitched squeaks came from him as he breathed erratically.

"Daisuke?!" Kosuke spoke urgently to his son, trying to get a response, and laid a hand on Daisuke's back.

"It was me!" Daisuke cried, raising his head to stare at his father desolately. "It's my fault!"

"What are you talking about Daisuke?" Daiki asked, frowning in concern at his grandson's behaviour.

"Dark wasn't ready to leave The Black Wings when I stepped back! He had a hold on me, but he wasn't... I don't know, but he wasn't ready! I stepped back and I..." Daisuke sucked in a breath. "I... I... I must have torn him! I must have torn Dark apart; his body came through but the rest of him..." Daisuke open and closed his mouth, struggling for words that he knew were not coming.

Emiko looked over to her husband and her father. Neither of them had an explanation, and neither of them had any words of comfort. Although she didn't want to admit it, she possessed no such words either. With words failing her, Emiko rubbed her son's shoulders and held onto his hands.

"What have I done, Mom?" Daisuke asked hopelessly, tears cascading down his face. "What have I done?"


	4. Dream

A light blinked on and off, and a buzz accompanied it.

Satoshi opened his eyes blearily, and, after registering the disruption to his sleep, he muttered several curses under his breath. Reluctantly, he kicked the covers off himself and got off his bed. He checked his clock: 1:43AM. Yawning, he made his way over to his computer, and pressed a key.

_If this is another false alarm, I'm going to rip the system out myself._

He looked over to the program that was flashing red on the display and clicked it into priority. There, he saw it was a video feed from the art museum, or more precisely, it was from the room that held The Black Wings.

All was still for a moment, and then he noticed a change in the shadows. The light was angled differently, and one particular shadow was moving. Once the shadow walked into the dim light, Satoshi saw…

"Niwa?!"

---***---

Daisuke hadn't moved from the edge of the sofa. His tears had finally dried, but his stomach still didn't appear to have any intention of settling down soon. But, he wasn't complaining, for he saw that he had no right to.

_I can't believe what I've done… How could I have been so stupid?_

Emiko looked over to her son's still figure. He hadn't moved or said anything for almost half an hour and she was starting to get very worried. Even Towa and With had given up trying to consolidate him, although With probably didn't understand the context.

"Father, is there anything we can do?" Emiko asked quietly, turning back to Daiki.

"I'm not sure," Daiki admitted. "Nothing like this has happened before. And, in truth my dear, the only one I think who would know about this would be..."

"Dark," Kosuke finished.

Daisuke was only half listening to them, because he knew what they were saying, and he knew that they would have no ideas on how to solve this. He felt so alone, even though Dark was now inside him.

_Except it's not Dark, but only a part of him. I doubt he'd want to talk to me, seeing as I'm the one who's done this to him._

"You didn't do this on purpose, Daisuke."

Daisuke was aware that his lips had moved without him. And he became aware of a long strand of purple hair falling in front of his face. Dark had taken control quite quietly, not that Daisuke was complaining. He wanted some time away from everyone.

Dark looked at his hands surprised. He then turned around and observed the room, where three people were talking. He recognised one of them as being Emiko, Daisuke's mother, and he was fairly certain that the other two were Daisuke's father and grandfather.

_So... this is what Daisuke meant when he said home. They obviously know me, I think, and I'm pretty sure I should know them. As long as I stay calm, I shouldn't upset anyone, hopefully._

Dark became aware that Daisuke's family had stopped talking and were watching him. He wasn't sure what they were waiting for, but knew that it had something to do with him.

"Emiko, right?" Dark asked cautiously, hopefully.

"That's right, Dark," Emiko smiled encouragingly. "Can I... get you anything?"

"No thanks," Dark shook his head. "Umm... is this... Daisuke's body, or mine?"

"I suppose it belongs to both of you," Emiko answered.

"Well, I don't think... _our_ stomach is up for anything right now," Dark admitted, scrunching his face up as said stomach in question churned.

Emiko frowned thoughtfully and then moved off into the kitchen. Dark followed her with his eyes for a while before giving up. Feeling dejected with the protesting stomach, Dark allowed himself to flop sideways and landed further along sofa, his hair trailing out everywhere.

**I'm sorry, Dark... I never meant for this to happen...**

"I believe you, Daisuke," Dark answered quietly.

Emiko suddenly appeared and placed a glass on the table with a funny-smelling, brown liquid inside.

"Drink this," Emiko instructed. "It might help."

Dark was surprised to feel himself go cold while looking at the contents, but quickly realised that it wasn't his reaction. It was Daisuke who was reacting badly to the sight of the drink.

_Obviously Daisuke's had something like this before._

"Daisuke?" Dark inquired, not expecting an answer.

Suddenly, Dark felt uncomfortable. He could feel something like a crick in his back and it was definitely bugging him. So, sitting up, Dark leaned forwards in the hope that he could stretch the feeling out.

**Dark! What are you doing?! You're gonna... AARRGGHH!!!**

Daisuke's scream echoed throughout Dark's entire mind and the pain flared up through him as well. He never thought such pain was possible. It felt like someone was trying to pull off the skin from his back, or trying to claw through it. Then, two white hot knives were pushing their way through him, and he felt his skin rip. He yelled in surprise and agony.

Black feathers went everywhere.

When everything settled and the air was no longer full of loose feathers, Emiko, Kosuke and Daiki could see Dark shaking uncontrollably. The poor young man was as white as a sheet and had wide, unfocused eyes.

**Uh-oh, that's done it!** Daisuke moaned from within Dark's mind. **Get to the kitchen sink, Dark. Quick!**

Dark was still dazed from the pain, but knew what Daisuke was talking about. Without question, he turned his head towards the kitchen, zoned onto the sink, and made a break for it. He didn't care about anything apart from doing what Daisuke said, mainly because Daisuke was right and he felt in no position to counter the younger man.

As soon as Dark reached the sink, he clutched the surface overhang and retched. His stomach hadn't been behaving before the incident, and that was all it had needed to actively protest. He could feel Daisuke feeling as bad as him, and felt sorry for the young man. At least _he_ could throw up... but how does a simple entity with no body help itself?

_He'll probably throw up once he has control back... Did... I really just say that?!_

His stomach revolted again. All the muscles in his abdomen screamed at him, and he closed his eyes and prayed for it to be over.

**Just don't breathe through your nose, Dark,** Daisuke advised.

"Okay..." Dark whispered in concurrence, taking shallow breaths.

The sound of running water made him open his eyes. He saw the last remains of Daisuke's dinner disappearing down the sink hole, and a hand holding out a glass of a clear liquid. He stared at it dumbly.

"It's just water. Rinse and spit," Emiko's voice instructed him kindly.

Obediently, Dark took the glass from Emiko's hand. The glass was cool against his lips and the water was refreshing in his mouth. He swished it around his mouth, letting the water pick up whatever horrid substance was still there, and then spat it out He had to admit that at least his mouth _felt_ cleaner.

"Take this and sit down, Dark," Emiko directed, handing him a deep bowl.

Dark didn't say anything as he took the bowl from her. He didn't want to move from the sink, but couldn't help but feel that he had no choice in the matter. Reluctantly, he turned away and moved back towards the living room. He saw Emiko reach out to lay a comforting hand on his back, or rather... his wings.

"Please, don't touch them," Dark begged, fearing another convulsion.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Emiko raised her hands so he could see them and she backed away so he could pass her without contact.

Dark carefully made his way back to the living room. He could see feathers lying everywhere; nowhere was untouched by the accursed things.

_Has _no one _thought to clear them away?! _ He allowed himself to think venomously towards the innocent looking items.

**Don't think about it, Dark, **Daisuke's voice suggested calmly.

Dark approached the sofa and resentfully brushed the stray feathers away before sitting down. It was bad enough being in a room with them, and he didn't think he could manage sitting on them. He had more than enough feathers staying too close to him already.

"Kyuu!" Wiz bounded happily into sight, a black feather was resting precariously on top of his head.

"I don't understand..." Dark muttered. "I thought Wiz changed into... into these..." he trailed off, unwilling to mention the new limbs that were protruding from beneath his shoulder blades.

"Wiz does," Daiki explained. "Daisuke's body is not adapted for having wings, while you, in essence, possess a pair of wings. As you've just realised, forcing those wings out is excruciatingly painful for Daisuke."

"I felt that too," Dark reminded him.

"On the contrary, what you felt was a pinch compared to what Daisuke felt. And, you only felt it because the pain caught both Daisuke and yourself off guard," Daiki clarified.

"Daisuke?" Dark asked quietly. "Is that true?"

**Well... I wouldn't call it a pinch, but... yeah, pretty much. Could you do me a favour and _don't_ do that again, please?** Daisuke pleaded.

Although Daisuke had no body as such, Dark could tell that he was trembling from the pain, and the calm in his voice was all he could do to stop himself screaming.

"I'm not sure how I did that," Dark confessed. "I'm sorry, Daisuke."

Dark was shocked to suddenly hear laughter coming from Daisuke. It was manic laughter, the kind that is often heard by people who are dangerously close to the edge. Dark's expression was enough of a demand for help.

"Dark, why don't you let Daisuke take control for a while?" Daiki insisted. "He's probably exhausted, both of you should be. Let him take over. Let him get some rest."

"How do I do that?" Dark asked. "Before it felt like someone was pulling me out the way."

"That would have been Daisuke. What about when you took control?"

"I don't know... I just wanted him to hear me, like he's been doing with me. I don't know how to explain it," Dark admitted quietly.

"You mean the projection of particular thoughts so that your other self can hear and occasionally see you?" Daiki inquired.

"Daisuke can make me see and hear him? Can I do that?" Dark frowned in surprise.

**You're the one who taught me that,** Daisuke's voice informed him. **I was never any good with projecting myself by sight.**

"It's a skill that you are... were quite adept in," Daiki stated. "Anyway, I'm guessing that you were attempting to project your thoughts, but placed too much of your will into the process and forced Daisuke to step back and let you take control."

Feeling ashamed, Dark lowered his eyes to the floor. Even though he knew that the motion was probably lost on Daisuke.

**Don't worry about it Dark. You have nothing to be ashamed about. Me, on the other hand...**

"You didn't do this on purpose, Daisuke," Dark mentioned quietly.

**It's still my fault.**

"Daisuke..."

"The two of you need sleep," Daiki's voice penetrated Dark's thoughts.

**I'll take over now, Dark. I'll probably be able to get to sleep easier than you, anyway.**

Dark nodded understandingly. He blinked, and Daisuke opened his eyes.

"I'm gonna get changed," Daisuke announced, moving slowly to stand up.

Still holding the bowl, Daisuke walked calmly over to the stairs. He made his way up to his bedroom, feeling somewhat dazed. Once there, he changed into his pyjamas quickly and then went back downstairs, the ruined top tucked under one arm.

When he re-entered the room, Emiko, Towa, and Kosuke were busy picking up all the feathers that had run amok of the place. Even Wiz was helping, carrying two at a time in his mouth to the medium sized pile in a corner of the room. Daiki was sitting at the table, pouring over old books.

_Obviously Grandpa is trying to find some way to solve the situation... I think I should help, but who, Grandpa... or Mom?_

"Oh, Daisuke, we've cleared the sofa, so try to get some sleep, hun," Emiko called over to him. "Could you try drinking that formula first, though?"

"Yes Mom," Daisuke agreed reluctantly.

Sitting back down on the sofa, Daisuke placed the bowl by his feet and reached out for the glass. He held it at arm's reach, breathed in, and then drew it to his lips. He allowed the liquid to slide into his mouth, across his tongue and pool at the back of his throat. He put the glass down.

He closed his eyes and willed himself not to gag or bring the mixture back up. He scrunched his face in displeasure, mentally recoiling at the taste. Finally, after a great effort, he swallowed the concoction and exhaled.

_Why does everything that's meant to be good for you taste so bad?_

Daisuke laid down on his back. He stared up at the ceiling for a while but could feel someone watching him. Turning his head slightly, he saw Wiz.

With glared contemptuously at the glass and then bounded over to Daisuke. He then jumped and landed lightly on the redhead's chest.

Daisuke couldn't help but smile weakly. He was pretty certain that Wiz had only tried the medicine once, and was sure that the creature had made two notes concerning the liquid. Note 1: funny-smelling, evil-tasting brown liquid should not be willing consumed. Note 2: If a family member is taking the funny-smelling, evil-tasting brown liquid, said family member is ill, therefore, **_do not _**jump on said family member's stomach.

"Kyuu!" Wiz squeaked, pressing his nose into Daisuke's outstretched hand.

"Thanks for not sitting on my stomach, Wiz," Daisuke smiled.

"Kyuu!"

Daisuke said nothing. He placed his hand around the back of Wiz's head, and slowly and methodically scratched behind his ears. He could feel Wiz's soft, warm fur moving with his fingers, brushing gently against his skin.

Daisuke blinked his eyes once... twice... and on the third time, he did not open them. His hand stopped moving and slid down to rest on Wiz's back. He did not stir when Wiz shifted slightly to lay down, nor when his mother pulled a light cover over the two of them. The only parts of him that moved was the gently, rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and his eyes as Daisuke dreamt.

---***---

_I don't know where I am, but I do know that I'm waking up. I can hear chanting around me, telling me to wake up... and to be._

_Something changes; the chanting stops and angry voices take its place. But it's too late, I'm already awake. Even as I rouse I know that something is wrong. There is a division around me; both sides are calling me, demanding my allegiance. Even though they are not aware of it, I can hear their calls. The calls are equal in strength, and the pull to both is beyond my ability to ignore._

_And then, I can feel something breaking inside of me. The pain... the pain is so intense that there is nothing I can do except cry out, scream. I scream for it to end, for the pain to die and I along with it. But... I am not the only one screaming._

_It is me... but not me at the same time. I can see how alike we are, but somehow I know that we are different. We are separate, but we scream to the same pain, a shared pain._

_The moment passes, and the pain eases, and we find ourselves opposing one another. We could be no less different in appearance; him of light and I of shadow._

_I can hear them talking to me, this side that I have chosen... or did I choose them at all, perhaps they chose me... They are naming me, and I can think of nothing else but to take the name that they give to me, for I have already forgotten my true name. They name me Dark, and call themselves Niwa._

_I can hear others talking to the other me, the other opposite me. They are naming him as well as themselves... He takes the name Krad, and they are Hikari..._

_Hikari and Niwa... Krad and Dark..._

_What has happened to me...?_


	5. Questions

Author's Note: Wow. I haven't updated this for a while. Sorry to all my readers who have probably forgotten this story even existed. At least for now, I'm back in the mood for writing D. fanfiction. I've gone back and done some editing, mainly changing With to Wiz. 'With' was just confusing me. I'll try to finish this story this time.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

"Dark!" Daisuke yelped, sitting up.

He was surprised to find himself on the sofa, with one leg hanging over the edge. One of his toes was barely touching the cold, wooden floor, but he was sure that was what had woken him up. He was even more surprised to realize that the morning sun was trying to push its bright light through the curtains.

He tried to remember the dream that he had just been having, and yet part of him didn't want to. He knew that there was pain and confusion in the dream, but that wasn't what was making him so reluctant to remember it. Somehow, it felt too personal, like something that he had had no right to see the first time round, let alone remember. But he could not place why the dream had felt so intrusive.

It then occurred to him that Wiz wasn't beneath his hands. Daisuke looked around, wondering where the small creature had gone. As it turned out, Wiz had curled up between Daisuke's back and the back cushions of the sofa.

"Oh, Dai, you're up."

"Huh?" Daisuke looked around for the caller. "Oh, hey Mom."

"Do feel like having breakfast?" she asked.

"Not really," Daisuke admitted, feeling his stomach churn.

Emiko nodded understandingly. She passed him a glass of medicine, the same that she had given him the night before, and retreated into the kitchen. She was going to make him something to eat, even if he didn't eat it straight away.

"I'll call school in a while to tell them that you won't be in today," she called from the cupboard she had just opened.

"Okay... I think I'll call Miss Riku," Daisuke announced. "I'll ask her if she can make notes for me."

He quietly rose from the sofa, picking up the bowl in one hand and the glass in the other as he stood up. He slowly made his way over to the island counter and laid both items on the top. He then picked up the phone and dialled the familiar address.

"_Hello? Harada residence,"_ a male voice answered the phone.

"Hi, this is Daisuke Niwa; can I speak to Miss Riku?" Daisuke asked, still feeling half asleep. _Half of me probably is... I think Dark's still sleeping._

"_Hello? Riku speaking,"_ Riku's voice echoed out of the phone, a yawn could also be heard.

"Miss Riku? It's Daisuke," Daisuke greeted, suddenly realising that he hadn't even checked the time. _Did I wake her up?_

"_Niwa? It's only seven-thirty..." _another yawn.

"Yeah, sorry about calling you," he apologised.

"_Is everything okay?"_

"Uh... I'm... I'm just not feeling too good, today. I was just calling to ask if you'll take notes for me in class today," Daisuke explained.

"_Sure... I'll drop round after school to give them to you. Hope you feel better soon, Niwa."_

"Yeah, thanks," _I hope we do, too._

"_See you later then. Bye."_

Daisuke didn't answer as the phone cut out. He put the receiver back down and reluctantly reached for the glass. He didn't want to drink it, but knew that his mother would fuss if he didn't. He let the horrible mixture go down his throat for a second time.

He noticed Emiko trying to watch him inconspicuously, and was glad to see her smile in relief when she saw him drinking something. She then walked over with a plate. She had made him a meagre breakfast, not too much to turn him off food completely, and nothing that would be too difficult to eat with a dodgy stomach.

"Where's Dad and Grandpa?" Daisuke asked, suddenly realising that he hadn't seen either of them yet.

"They're down in the basement," she answered quietly.

Daisuke nodded. He knew that he should have known that they were doing some research to figure out what to do.

"How's Dark?" Emiko queried.

"He's still asleep," Daisuke answered, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head.

"Well, I guess he has had a... an interesting night," Emiko reasoned.

"Haven't we all?" Daisuke asked glumly.

Emiko frowned crossly. She knew that Daisuke was upset for what he'd done to Dark, but she was not going to let him mope around because of it.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Daisuke," she scolded lightly. "Instead of feeling sorry for what you did, how about trying to figure out how to help Dark?"

Daisuke didn't answer his mother, and knew that she was right. He felt her hand on his shoulder and grudgingly allowed his lips to twitch into a slight smile as Emiko made tiny circles with her fingers, easing some of the tension in his shoulder. Then, her hand fell away and she returned to the kitchen.

Daisuke didn't move as his mother moved away. His hand was still on the phone, though there was no one he wanted to call.

No, that wasn't right. He wanted to call Satoshi, but he knew that he couldn't. Despite having Krad inside him, his best friend wouldn't understand why Daisuke had done what he'd done. No one would.

"Morning Dark," Daisuke murmured warmly as the being within began to stir.

He could sense Dark was extremely groggy and having difficulty coming round into consciousness and alert thought.

Daisuke sighed and picked up the plate and the bowl and returned to the sofa. He knew he was leaving the glass with the medicinal concoction on the countertop, but he didn't care. After putting the two items onto the coffee table, he sat down, picking Wiz up in the process, and gently laid the little creature on his lap. As he scratched softly behind Wiz's ears, he nibbled on his breakfast and waited for Dark to wake up fully.

"Good morning, Daisuke," came a familiar voice.

"Morning Grandpa," Daisuke replied.

Daiki made his way to the kitchen and fixed himself up something to eat. He stopped and spoke to Emiko, but Daisuke wasn't listening.

He was trying to understand what Dark had been out to achieve on the previous night. Obviously the Phantom Thief had been trying to talk to Daisuke, but maybe he hadn't wanted to leave the Black Wings. Maybe all Dark wanted to do was let Daisuke know that he was okay, and that it was time to move.

If so, then Daisuke had really screwed up.

But, then again, if that was all Dark had been trying to do, then he wouldn't have had that look on his face. He had looked so happy to see Daisuke, but that wasn't the only expression that had been on Dark's face. Relief. Dark had been relieved to see Daisuke.

_But why? Why was Dark not just happy, but relieved to see me? Had he really wanted to come out of The Black Wings so badly?_

"An expression so serious should not exist so early in the morning," Daiki noted as he joined Daisuke on the sofa.

Daiki put two glasses on the table. One glass belonged to the old man, while the other...

"Kyuu," Wiz moaned as he opened an eyelid and found himself staring at the second glass.

"It's okay, Wiz," Daisuke comforted. "It's not for you, it's for me."

Daisuke reluctantly picked up the glass and raised it to his lips. He was about to take another mouthful of the foul liquid, when he remembered the rousing presence in the back of his mind.

"Hey Dark," Daisuke called softly. "Sorry about this."

He then drank the substance, and fought back his own reaction to gag, choke and spit it out. He was about to drink the dregs when-

"Kyuu!!"

Dark dropped the glass and stood up. He was coughing as he retreated from the living room towards Daisuke's bedroom. His eyes were clamped tightly shut as he fought the tears that both his coughing and the medicine had brought to his eyes.

**I did say sorry before I started drinking it,** Daisuke explained quietly.

Dark didn't reply as he pressed the balls of his hands against his eyes, wiping away the tears the leaked from the corners of his eyes. He inhaled deeply as he ordered his mind to calm.

Within him, Daisuke waited patiently for Dark's panic and disorientation to fade. However, neither was fading as quickly as Daisuke had hoped.

"Good morning, Dark," Daiki greeted, seemingly oblivious to the odd position that Dark found himself in.

Dark lowered his hands and opened his eyes. His eyes hurt slightly from the pressure and the sudden introduction to light, but he quickly made out Daiki's figure sitting on the sofa. He then saw Emiko watching him from the kitchen, and Wiz was grumpily jumping back onto the sofa. The tiny creature jumped over a mess on the floor in the process of returning to his previous spot.

Dark quickly realised what he'd done as soon as he saw the broken glass.

"S- Sorry," he mumbled unsurely.

"Oh, don't be silly Dark," Emiko replied good-naturedly. "Daisuke wasn't never very happy when we woke him up using smelling salts."

"Smelling salts..." Dark echoed, a slight frown rested on his brow. "What are they?"

"They're used to wake someone up, usually if they've been knocked out, or something," Daiki answered.

"When we used the smelling salts on Daisuke once..." Emiko chuckled slightly. "I've never seen him move so fast."

**Let's put it this way, Dark: if someone puts them under your nose, you'll know about it,** Daisuke muttered darkly

Dark blinked and was silent. He looked around, taking in the sight of Daisuke's living room, allowing himself time to calm down and get used to the place. The black feathers were in a neat pile in the corner of the room, and Dark glared at them contemptuously.

**Just ignore them, Dark.**

Dark finally looked away and found Emiko was kneeling on the floor, sweeping up the remains of the glass and medicine. Dark quickly walked over and knelt down beside her.

"I'm sorry, Emiko. I should clear that up," Dark admitted.

"Oh, that's okay, Dark," Emiko smiled good-naturedly. "You and Daisuke aren't feeling well, and need to rest."

"We'll keep the curtains closed," Daiki stated. "If anyone asks, we'll just say you're sensitive to the light."

"Right…" Dark mumbled.

"Dark, dear, why don't you have some breakfast?" Emiko suggested. "It's on the table, and I'll get you another glass."

**I hate that stuff,** Daisuke complained quietly as Dark sat down.

Dark felt his lips twitch up and he coughed quietly, trying not to laugh. He had admit, it felt strange listening to Daisuke complain in the back of his mind, but somehow, it felt right. It was as if he'd spent his whole life in this very situation.

"So, how do I do that… talking thing that you do?" Dark asked quietly, so no one else could hear him.

**Yeah, I had trouble with that for a long time,** Daisuke admitted. **But you've been doing**** it**** for much longer, so I bet it'll come back real easy for you.**

"So how do I do it?"

**Just think about what you want me to hear. Focus on it and project towards me,** Daisuke explained.

"Huh?" Dark asked confusedly.

**Umm... Let's start with something basic. Think of a question, something easy, and think about it. Don't say it or anything. Once I hear it, I'll give you an answer.**

"Okay…" Dark shrugged unconfidently.

_Okay Dark, think! What would be a good question? What's my name? Yeah! That's a good one. What's my name? What's my name? What's my name? What's my name?_

**What's my name?**

**That's an easy one,** Daisuke chuckled. **You're Dark. Try another one.**

_Okay, another one... another question. What's his name? Right! What's your name? What's your name? _**What's your name?**

**Hey! You're getting quicker with this. My name's Daisuke Niwa.**

Dark was silent as he heard Daisuke's answer. He didn't respond when the young man queried him, asking if he was okay. He could sense Daisuke's concern, and didn't know how to answer his questions and alleviate his worries.

Not knowing what to do, Dark took a bite of toast and struggled not to pull a face. It had gone cold.

**Dark? What's wrong?** Daisuke's concerned voice kept buzzing around Dark's ears insistently.

"Sorry Daisuke," Dark apologised. "I was just wondering why you have a last name and I don't."

**Oh, that. Sorry, it's just that... we're in the same body, so I don't tend to think of your last name as being any different.**

"So what is my last name?"

**Well... I guess it would be Niwa, too. You don't tend to talk much about it. You're just Dark to us, really. Now, come on! Less talking, more thinking!**

"Yes sir," Dark chuckled.

He found Daisuke's order somewhat amusing, though he couldn't place why. It just seemed odd that the kid was trying to tell him what to do, not that Daisuke was much of a kid.

_Focus Dark! Ask another question. I've got one!_

**Who's Krad?**

There was silence for a long time. It was so silent that Dark wondered if he'd even managed to send the question to Daisuke. He then began wondering what the redhead was doing- or thinking in this case. Finally, he started to worry if he'd asked an inappropriate question; a fearful anxiousness crept into him. Had he offended Daisuke?

**It was your dream last night, wasn't it Dark?**

"Is that-" Dark stopped himself and concentrated. **Is that what that was? A dream?**

**I don't know,** Daisuke admitted. **It was confusing like a dream, but it just felt too real. It was patchy, like an old memory with only the most important things remembered.**

**A memory? Mine?**

**I think so, Dark. But you've shown me a couple of memories in the past, and I've never seen anything like this.**

**I... woke up. Something tore me in two... and created Krad?**

**Something like that, yeah,** Daisuke confirmed. **My family have been thieves for a long time, partly for you.**

**For me? Why?** Dark asked, before Daisuke's words sank in. He felt himself go cold. **How long have I been part of the family?**

Daisuke didn't reply. He knew what the outcome would be, and he didn't want to freak Dark out any more. He could feel the thief's emotions flipping from positive to negative, from curious to suspicious, trusting to guarded, and calm to panic. He was certain that Dark wouldn't take his age very well, but he knew that he couldn't hide the truth.

**Well... You've been part of the family for...** he trailed off, not wanting to say it.

**Daisuke?** Dark nudged him slightly, his tone was full of worry.

**You've been part of the family for four hundred years.**


End file.
